Political Party Policy Divisions

The two political parties in America, the Democrats and Republicans, have been moving toward the same ground in the majority of their issues for a long time. There are certain issues, however, that clearly distinguish one from the other and separate them for voters today.

One such issue on which the two parties are clearly divided is that of sexual education in America’s schools. Democrats believe that because more than three million teenagers are contracting sexually transmitted diseases each year that safe sexual activity, rather than abstinence, should be instructed in our public schools. Republicans, on the other hand, argue that abstinence is the only 100% effective way to guard from sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. Likewise, Democrats are supportive of school-based clinics which offer contraception and information on abortion. Republicans do not support these and are advocates of, in the coming budget, doubling the funds being spent on abstinence education. The different stances by these two parties on such a delicate issue are ones which continuously define the voters who remain party voters.
Another issue which in the most recent elections has purportedly increased the number of party voters on a strict conservative/liberal line is that of same-sex marriage. Democrats support all Americans and are willing to accept the union of two individuals of the same sex as a lawful marriage. Republicans, on the other hand, argue that marriage is strictly between a man and woman and refuse to give even basic rights to same-sex couples. Democrats are increasingly alarmed by Republican efforts to pass a Federal Marriage Amendment. They claim that because the right to define marriage has been delegated to the states since our country’s beginning there is no reason for the federal government to involve itself in that particular issue. Certainly, this issue is one that will be one full of controversy in the coming years.

Women's Right Impacting Lives

As a white female growing up in a primarily white rural Appalachian community I was not exposed to many of the biases involved with various pieces of equality legislation. I was not alive when civil rights were a hot topic. The right to vote was granted to women 68 years before my birth. Schools were not segregated for over two decades before I began attending. To be completely honest, I grew up leading a sheltered life which guarded me from the discrimination faced by so many Americans.
Though I am just a small town girl who felt impacted very little by the decisions of the government in Washington, DC I am now an independent woman viewing my country with a new sense of its positive and negative attributes. Certainly I am not the standard victim of discrimination. However, there are certain barriers I expect to encounter as I embark in my chosen career. The Civil Rights Act is very important to my success as a woman in the workforce today. Title VII guaranteed that my sex would not be means for discrimination against me in my application for jobs. It also insured that hiring, pay, and promotions would not be contingent upon my sex. Title IX of the same act prevents discrimination against me as I seek to further my education. This law guarantees there will be equality in admissions, housing, rules, financial aid, faculty, staff recruitment, and athletics. Title IX guarantees that I receive the same opportunities as my male counterparts as I grow as an individual in college. The Civil Rights Act offers me the ability to move forward in a country which once prevented the basic equality of men and women.
The recognition of equality between men and women was not easily attained. Feminine activists worked diligently for rights in the home and the workplace. These same activists later met in Seneca Falls for a convention which is now well-known. Not long afterwards the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution granted women the right to vote. Suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony devoted much of their lives to insuring that the women who would live in America in the next centuries would have the rights they had been denied. These women are role models and inspirations for the women of 21st century America who are fighting to make their mark in various arenas which were once closed to females.
Women’s rights is still an issue which is hotly debated. The Family and Medical Leave Act was not passed until 1993. This Act guarantees women the ability to take leave from their employment positions after the birth of their child without facing pay cuts or potential loss of their job. This act was an important piece of legislation, especially for women like me. As I start a career I also want to be able to start a family. The Family and Medical Leave Act allows me to start my family without suffering negative consequences in my career. This act guarantees a certain amount of leverage in the workplace even though a woman takes time off.
This legislation has impacted my life even though I gave it little consideration when it did. I was able to vote in my first political election in May without fear that I would be denied that right because I was a woman. I was admitted to the University of Kentucky as a female and was not discriminated against in receiving financial aid or housing. In the future I will be able to have a career and raise a family. I may not have been politically active in making this legislation reality but I am aware of how it impacts my life without my realizing it is doing so. Legislation like this is what makes my life so different from that of women a century ago and I am thankful that they worked so hard to insure I would be this privileged.